Tech Leaders Make A Difference Too: MFLS Visits Forest Interactive HQ

“The very first corporate office I visited in a school trip basically gave me a booster, and every decision I made since then led me to my profession,” shares Head of Corporate PR Sheena Pimentel who kicked off the Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) office visit at Forest Interactive’s corporate headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on February 28, Friday.

Around 40 students from all over the country learned how it is like to work in a technology company and what it aims to achieve in building products that do not only maximize the capabilities of mobile technology but also on shaping every talent to become stronger tech agents in the industry. “Being a kampung girl from a mountain region in the Philippines, it opened my eyes on how modern the processes are in a city office—and on what improvements I can share to my hometown and to our local government,” adds Pimentel who also leads the team handling corporate sustainability projects at Forest Interactive.

Head of Corporate PR Sheena Pimentel took a picture of Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) students.[/caption]The Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) is a youth development program that started in 2019 with a goal to enhance youth involvement by honing students to become responsible and ethical citizens at all levels with the guidance of the federal constitution and of national principles.

Initiated by Tun Dr Mahatir Bin Mohammed and KBS, MFLS consists of three tiers where the first tier is a preliminary school-level screening to finalize participants who will proceed to the second tier based on. The second tier is a 10-day program emphasizing leadership, statehood, character building and identity, spirit of volunteerism, as well as the practice of virtue aspects.

Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) participants at Forest Interactive HQ.

Once the participants have finished the program, they will move to the third tier where they have to complete a module called Institutional Visit. In this module, the participants will each visit a multinational company to expose them about the history, work culture and core values of the organization. At the end of each visit, participants should be able to understand how the company works and their administration.

Exploring the Forest Interactive Creative Office.

“It’s nice to see so many people from different cultures and nationalities in one office. It is fascinating to know that they work so well with each other,” says Nur Amal Wafiq Bin Othman from SMK Ayer Hangat whose ambition is to become an industry leader as a software engineer.

“I’m interested in graphic design and I was surprised to see an office dedicated to creatives and video production in a tech company. Indeed, digital content is in demand,” shares Mohd Luqman Hakim Bin Mohd Daud from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Changlun who visited the Creative and Multimedia office.

Providing a venue for the youth to explore the possibilities of their future careers has been in the company’s DNA since 2006. Forest Interactive is also a strong supporter of CSR initiatives like Kre8tif@Schools and Level UP@SCHOOLS, both of which are spearheaded by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

“The event was a great opportunity to show them that there is more to technology than just gadgets and the internet, there’s also the ability to make a difference in boosting the economy by globalizing your products—waving the Malaysian flag internationally. Taking part of conversations on how to improve processes and harnessing the power of mobile connectivity in doing social good is the end goal,” says CEO Johary Mustapha who also sits as a Malaysia Mobile Technology Association (MMTA) honorary member and PIKOM (National ICT Association of Malaysia) councilor.